Joe Flacco always stressed he would be in a Ravens uniform by the time the team opens training camp Monday at McDaniel College in Westminster.
The 18th-pick in April?s NFL Draft appears ready to make good on that pledge as he agreed in principle to a five-year deal worth $30 million with $8.75 million guaranteed, said Joe Linta, Flacco?s agent.
“Joe has always been matter-of-fact about this subject,” Linta said. “There was no doubt we were going to get this done. There was never any consideration for Joe to hold out.”
Lina and the Ravens began aggressively negotiating terms of the deal Tuesday with the sides agreeing to the basic terms around 10 p.m. Wednesday.
“Joe recognized how important it is for him to be here to practice. You get better by practicing at every position, but especially the quarterback position,” first-year head coach John Harbaugh said Thursday. “He?s starting his career off on the right foot.”
With Flacco set to start training camp on time, the Ravens quarterback competition between Flacco, Kyle Boller and Troy Smith can officially begin. Harbaugh has not publicly committed to anyone yet and will use training camp and the preseason to make a final decision.
“We?ve got a chance to have him at training camp on time,” said Ozzie Newsome, Ravens general manager. “I give all that credit to his agent and [Ravens vice president of football administration] Pat Moriarty for starting early and not being afraid to wait and see what the market is going to bear.”
Harbaugh said he is impressed with how Flacco has handled the transition from college to the NFL during the team?s offseason workouts.
“Is he making more mistakes or less mistakes?” Harbaugh said. “Well, he’s not making the same mistakes. There are thousands of mistakes that are out there to be made from a quarterback, and that’s why it?s such a hard position to play.”
Flacco started his college career at Pittsburgh before transferring to Delaware. In two seasons with the Blue Hens, he completed 63.4 percent of his passes while throwing for 7,046 yards 41 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. He led Delaware to the Football Championship Subdivision (formally Division I-AA) in 2007.
Flacco?s deal with the Ravens is better than the one Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn received last year. The 22nd pick in the 2007 draft, Quinn received a five-year, $20.2 million deal, which included $7.75 million guaranteed. Last year?s 18th pick, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall, signed a five-year deal worth $13.6 million with $8.2 million guaranteed.
At the same time, Flacco?s deal is less than some other first-round quarterbacks taken in recent years. This includes last year?s top overall pick, Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who signed a six-year, $61 million contract with $29 million guaranteed.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Flacco said he is ready for the challenges training camp will bring and feels prepared for the competition after participating in all but one of the team?s offseason practice sessions, including a three-day rookie camp last month.
“I think it?s been pretty good so far,” Flacco said. “Camp will come and it will be a whole new storm. I?ll have to calm myself down and take it day by day and do the best I can. But I?m looking forward to going out to camp and getting everything started.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
